Italian Front Collapse on first turn...help

[bgiddings]

Am I correct in assuming based upon reading some of the posts in the past that this could happen just out of the blue??

Situation: In 3.2, the Italian Front starts with a strength of 1798. From there I actually transferred the three small divisions into the front from the 8th army nearby, changed none of the current divisions and none of their equipment, raised the replacement level to 100 ..... but I did change some of the air but still ended up with a resulting strength of 1633 with allied strength at 1500. Should have never collapsed!!!

I do not even understand the Allied strength being at 1500...according the manual page 74 ....the max Allied strength even with random factor can not exceed 1000 = (Year - 1941 *500) + 500 for clear weather + 500 if random factor > Axis Commander rating and of course Rommel is 8.

One funny thing though the starting operation points for the front was an amazing 112.

I reran the whole thing exactly over again and of course it did not collapse.....the starting opeartion points this was a normal 100.

Any help +++++

As this happened at the beginning of a PBEM game and I have never got to an Italian front collapse playing the Germans does anyone know the result this might have on the historical events on the Italian front ? I did rebuit immediately on the second turn by rail and air transfering enough units to get to 2024.

[Mikser]

Perhaps the Front Commander failed the leader check? If I've understood correctly that might reduce the strength for a turn by 500.

[RickyB]

Mikser is correct - a leader failure will result in a potential boost to the allied strength of 500 points. Basically, the game selects a random number between 1 and the allied strength and if it is higher than the Axis an event occurs. Also, the leader check has a one third or so chance of Hitler taking over and being the leader for the check each turn.

Although a problem, this can be handled okay. Come 1943, the Axis strength is reduced to one third until the lines are back on the Italian mainland, so in the big picture it probably is not a major problem, except for the distraction of forces so early in the game from the east front.

[bgiddings]

THX for the help

I thought that I had taken the leader check into consideration

500 * (Year - 1941) = 0 even if 1941 should be 1940=500
500 for Clear Weather = 500 ................................................500
500 Axis Commander Rat = 500 ...............................................500
Totals ========= 1000 =================1500

Is there another leader check that I missed in the manual because my 1633 strength should have prevented the collapse?

Maybe this is just a newbie question but I like to know details.

Also THX for the update that the Italiabn Front will hold for a while ... I will just have to do better on the Russian Front without the forces that have been consumed by this rebuild.

[Ed Cogburn]

Originally posted by techex
THX for the help

I thought that I had taken the leader check into consideration.

The manual is wrong. Currently the med front works this way:

41=1000
42=1500
43=2000
44=3000
45=2750

+500 for clear weather, and +500 for failed German leadership check. In '43 strength is reduced until the fighting ends up on the Italian mainland as Rick said. As you can see, its possible for an Allied strength of 2000 in '41.